Motion diagram. A Deaf-recorded clip from the PopSign corpus (CC BY 4.0) exists for this sign and can be placed here.
STAY
“stay”
How to make it
Hold a 'Y' hand out and push it down slightly, firmly.
Where the sign comes from
UnknownNo reliable source. We'd rather say so than invent one.
The downward press suggests holding something in place, but the choice of a Y handshape is unexplained in our sources.
No sources — which is the point of the “unknown” tier. If you know of a documented account, the historical databases are where to check it.
The sign, taken apart
Every ASL sign is built from a handshape, a place it's made, and a movement. Learn to see these three and you can read and store any sign.
Location
Neutral space
Made at the neutral space.
Movement
downward
One-handed.
Palm facing down.